Thursday, January 16, 2020

The Year I Lost 70 Pounds and Gained a Life

It began after my trip to Memphis
in February, which was followed by a visit to New Orleans and a Carnival Cruise.
I enjoyed every moment, but physically I was a mess.

At 295 pounds, my hips and knees
hurt when I walked.

I had to rest every few minutes.

I was short of breath.

I couldn’t do a lot of the things
I longed to do.

I felt uncomfortable in my own
skin.

I snored!

I didn’t like myself much.

A week after I returned home, I
took a leap of faith and joined WW (formerly Weight Watchers.) Honestly, it was
spur-of-the-moment when I saw an ad on Facebook. Oprah said I could enjoy the
foods I liked and still lose weight. I thought, “Okay, Oprah, let’s put this to
the test.”

That impulse moment changed my
life. Big change! I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around it all!

From March 7, 2019, to today, I’ve
lost 70 pounds.

70 POUNDS!!!!

I haven’t been this weight since 1995. So far,
I’ve gone from a size 26 to an 18, which is now getting too big depending on
the style.

But it’s the changes inside of me
that are truly amazing. I’m believing in myself again! My dreams seem less like
dreams and more like goals I can achieve! And I’m learning that taking care of
myself and putting myself first in my life is not being selfish. It’s how we are
all supposed to live. I am enough, which makes me able to give of myself to
others in ways I’ve never done before.

In November, I went on a trip to
Hawaii.

I was able to walk 10,000 to
20,000 steps each day without trouble!

I wore shorts!

I went to the beach in a
swimsuit!

I even climbed to the top of
Diamond Head, including going up 99 steps to get there!

I still have 60 more pounds to
drop before I get to my goal. I’m an online-only WW member, which means I don’t
go to meetings (known as workshops) each week. However, I’m thinking about
giving the workshops a try. I’ll keep you posted!

Want to follow along on my
journey? I plan to start posting about it on here, including recipes! You can
also find me on Instagram (@linda_ditch) and Facebook
(@ASunflowerLifeinKansas). If you’re on WW Connect, I’m @LindainKS.

If you want to check out WW, this link will get us both one month of membership free if you sign-up!

But feel free to follow along on
my journey without joining WW. I’m just happy to have you along for the
adventure.